On January 10, 2011, Bartkowski made his NHL debut for the Boston Bruins against his hometown team, the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Bruins went on to win the game 4-2, with Bartkowski registering two penalty minutes.[3]

Bartkowski with the Bruins in 2013

On June 15, 2011, the Boston Bruins won the Stanley Cup in game seven against the Vancouver Canucks. Bartkowski got to take part in the Bruins celebration and he also got to raise the Stanley Cup without playing a single playoff game with the Bruins. He did not, however, have his name engraved on the Stanley Cup, as a player to have his name inscribed must have played at least 41 games for the championship team during the regular season (provided the player remains with the team when they win the Cup) or played in at least one game of the Stanley Cup Finals.[4]

On July 1, 2015, Bartkowski signed a one-year deal with the Vancouver Canucks.[7] On October 18, 2015, Bartkowski scored his first NHL regular season goal in a 2-1 loss to the Edmonton Oilers. The goal came in Bartkowski's 137th game played in the NHL.[8]

Bartkowski appeared in a career-high 80 games for the Canucks during the 2015-16 season, scoring 18 points. However, the club chose not to re-sign him at season's end, making him an unrestricted free agent.[9]

On September 16, 2016, Bartkowski was signed to a professional tryout by the Ottawa Senators.[10] On October 5, he was released from his professional tryout with the Senators.[11] He returned informally to the Bruins organization in accepting a professional try-out contract with former club, the Providence Bruins of the AHL to begin the 2016–17 season. In 34 games with Providence, Bartkowski added 2 goals and 10 points.

On February 15, 2017, Bartkowski was signed to a professional tryout with the Calgary Flames, reuniting him with head coach Glen Gulutzan, formerly an assistant in Vancouver.[12] The next day, Bartkowski signed a two-year, two-way deal with the Flames.[13]